As a made for TV movie, for cable no less, Many people perhaps had low expectations for Pirates of the Silicon Valley. Yet, right from the beginning , the film abandons the stigma of the made for TV movie and surely silenced many critics. (including the worst critics of all, computer nerds) For people unfamiliar with the history of the computer industry, this movie will be just as educational as it is entertaining, yet even for computer history buffs, this movie is still a must watch. The movie benefits from what is truly a remarkable story in real life. The viewer will be surprised to see the genesis of companies like Apple and Microsoft, and how humbly they began. The movie's portrayal of this is excellent, and features an easy to follow, yet engaging narrative throughout the film. No doubt, one will finish watching this movie with a much deeper understanding of the computer industry. However, what makes this movie so interesting is the human element it brings to these companies and more importantly, the people who started them. Most people don't know Bill Gates as anything more than the billionaire CEO of Microsoft, this film allows one to see him outside of that context somewhat. Steve Jobs gets a similar treatment, revealing him as a true personality amongst people most view as nerds. Unfortunately, the movie does suffer from certain weaknesses. Through it tries to avoid getting technical involving the computer aspects, when it does, it tends to play to the most common denomenator, which can be frustrating to people who already have a knowledge of computers. Additionally, the format of a TV movie easy easy to notice when one watches it (breaks for commercials, etc.) and hurts the pace of the movie. Yet overall, it's a very well acted, entertaining and informational film.
Review of Pirates of Silicon Valley
